Usher ponders mother's return

Pop star Usher may re-hire his mother as his manager, a year after she was reportedly fired due to her disapproval of his eventual marriage to his fashion stylist, New York Daily News reports.

Usher is thinking of having his mother, Jonetta Patton, return to her post as his manager after disappointing sales of his latest album, "Here I Stand."

His latest project sold more than 430,000 in its first week, compared to his last album, "Confessions," which posted a record-setting 1.1 million in its first week.

The first week sales of his last project were the best ever for a male R&B artist.

Usher hired mega-manager Benny Medina was hired shortly after Usher gave his mother her walking papers days after Mother's Day, over her disapproval of her son marrying an older married woman with three children, the Daily News reports.

Medina, who has guided the careers of Jennifer Lopez and Mariah Carey, advised Usher the sales were due to the economy. However, weeks later, rapper Lil Wayne sold more than a million copies of his "Carter III" album in its first week of release.

She has served as his manager through his most success albums, including "Confessions," totaling more than 30 million albums sold worldwide.

She now runs her own record label and manages her other son, producer Jlack.